It took longer than some fans would have liked, but the classic N64 platformer Banjo-Kazooie finally arrived on Nintendo Switch this week thanks to Nintendo Switch Online. This marks the first time since its original release on Nintendo 64 that the game has been available on a Nintendo platform, and as such, a number of fans have been celebrating the occasion. And while fans might be the most thrilled to now have Banjo-Kazooie playable in this manner, the game’s original developers also seem quite pleased.
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In a recent message on Twitter, Rare Ltd., which is the studio that created Banjo-Kazooie, recognized the game’s release on Switch in a pretty big way. “With bear and bird out now on Switch, you’ve another way to bop that witch! To celebrate, we’ve outfitted ours with red and yellow ‘con for Kazooie’s plumage and Banjo’s shorts respectively,” the studio said while sharing an image of the game running on Switch. “Whether you’re revisiting their world or it’s your very first trip, we hope you have fun!”
What’s cool to see with this message from Rare is that the studio continues to very much celebrate the legacy that it created with the Banjo-Kazooie series. Despite having been part of Xbox Game Studios for two decades at this point, Rare has always looked back fondly on the games that it released on non-Xbox platforms prior to joining Microsoft.
Perhaps the only downside of this situation is that, at least as far as we know, a new Banjo-Kazooie game isn’t something that Rare, or any other studio, is working on. Despite the franchise’s revival the past few years (primarily through Super Smash Bros. Ultimate), the most recent installment in the series happens to be Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, which released in 2008. Still, perhaps if Banjo-Kazooie gets enough love with this new Switch iteration, those at Xbox will look to make a new game in the franchise before too long.
Have you been playing Banjo-Kazooie for yourself this week on Nintendo Switch? And if so, what do you think about the quality of this version of the game? Let me know either down in the comments or message me on Twitter at @MooreMan12.
